Classic American Smash Burgers with Caramelized Onions and Special Sauce

Cook the sliced onions in 2 tablespoons of butter on a flat griddle over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until deeply caramelized, 15-20 minutes.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1.5 lb (680g) ground beef (80/20), formed into 8 loose balls
• 8 slices American cheese
• 4 soft potato burger buns
• 2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp ketchup
• 1 tbsp yellow mustard
• 2 tbsp dill pickle relish
• 4 tbsp butter
• Dill pickle chips, for serving
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• Iceberg lettuce and tomato slices, for serving

Instructions

1. Cook the sliced onions in 2 tablespoons of butter on a flat griddle over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until deeply caramelized, 15-20 minutes.
2. Stir together the mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, and relish to make the special sauce, then set aside.
3. Heat a flat-top or cast-iron griddle until ripping hot and toast the buttered buns until golden; set aside.
4. Place the beef balls on the hot surface and smash each one flat hard with a sturdy spatula, season with salt and pepper, and sear undisturbed for 2 minutes until a deep crust forms.
5. Flip the patties, top each with a slice of cheese, and stack two patties per burger so the cheese melts between them.
6. Build each burger on a toasted bun with special sauce, caramelized onions, lettuce, tomato, and pickles, then serve hot off the griddle.
7. The smash burger is American cookout cooking distilled to its essence, all about that lacy, craggy crust you only get from pressing thin beef onto blazing metal. It is the centerpiece of any Fourth of July backyard spread, fast to cook and endlessly customizable down the line of hungry guests. Keep the patties thin, the griddle hot, and the special sauce flowing, and you have a holiday crowd-pleaser that never goes out of style.

Nutrition (estimated, per serving)

• Calories: 780 kcal
• Protein: 42g
• Fat: 52g
• Carbohydrates: 34g
• Fiber: 2g
• Sugar: 9g
• Sodium: 1180mg